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12 Apr 2016

We've always said that Strongman Lifts are excellent quality and easy to construct, independent and unsolicited proof positive by way of this contained in a Pistonheads article, see http://goo.gl/1Y23hn

"I have the Strongman Glenflidic four post lift. I went for this because of its compact size and that it comes with the drip trays to go down the middle when being used for parking. It is also 240v which is good as I only have a normal electricity supply (as opposed to 3 phase) and did not want to mess about with a converter.

Being compact it does mean that it is tight (wheel to wheel/ side to side) with only about an inch to spare, however this is really only a pain when reversing a car on. Length wise there is no issue.

Due to the angle of out drive I do have to use a couple of planks to get the TVRs on without them bottoming out.

I have had may Chimaera, Tuscan and a friends Cerbera on it (along with Triumph Spitfire and a Citroen C4 but quiet on the last one!). Work done on the lift has included general work/servicing and clutch servicing on the Tuscan (the star washers were missing from the clutch pack). The difference in ease of working on the cars is immense even if I cannot go up to full height because of the garage roof beams at the moment.

Normally it is used for storage with the Spitfire over the Chimaera. It comes flat packed (you can do a collection yourself if you want) and is straightforward to put together and the only tools that you will need you will already have if you do even basic maintenance on the cars yourself.

Dawn (my wife) put mine together for me, as I broke several ribs the week before it was delivered and it took a evening from about 5pm to about 9:30. The only thing that was done the following day was bolting it down to the garage floor as it was a bit late to be using a hammer drill in a residential street."

Our "correspondent" continues.....

"Sorry, should really get the name of the lift correct!

It is the Strongman Glenfinnan (as per this picture).

Also the Chimarea goes underneath because the Tuscan is slightly longer and the garage door will not close due to keeping the trailer at the back of the garage. Very pleased with the ramp. Just slowly saving up for a jacking beam to go with it."

4 Apr 2016

If you just can't resist adding to your collection, then a compact, well designed, Lift can help store the addition, under cover and securely away from prying eyes.

When the Garage Door is Shut, no-one will know what lies behind, locked safely away. The best thinig about having a lift is the instant access it gives you, when the sun comes out and you fancy taking your pride and joy for a spin, simply select your ride for the day and she's yours, at the push of a button

18 Dec 2015

Before car lifts were invented, mechanics would
often have to deal with cramped and dangerous conditions while working on motor
vehicles. They would often use ramps or
jacks to lift vehicles and accidents were common. Pits offered a safer option for working on
vehicles, but very often these pits did not allow a mechanic to stand
comfortably while working on a vehicle.

It all changed thanks
to the invention of the car lift. This
article will examine the history of the car lift and some of the modern lifts
which are now available.

The Power of HydraulicsScientific developments in the field of hydraulics
were key to the invention of the car lift. In the 17th-Century, French
mathematician Blaise Pascal first described how a hydraulic jack might
function. Pascal developed Pascal’s
Principle — also known as the principle of transmission of
fluid-pressure. In laymen’s terms, it
means that within closed systems, the pressure exerted on an incompressible
fluid will result in equal pressure in all directions.

In 1795, a British
engineer named Joseph Bramah patented the hydraulic press, which put Pascal’s
principles to work. He was given a
patent for the device, which was an important technological breakthrough for
industrial machinery. Hydraulic presses
are often used for moulding, blanking, punching, deep drawing, forging,
clinching, and metal forming operations.

The next important
technological breakthrough occurred when Richard Dudgeon invented the hydraulic jack in
1851. He received a patent for the
device, named the “portable hydraulic press”.
It was a simple device that used “water or another fluid” in a reservoir
near the top of the jack. The jack was
often filled with whale oil and other unusual fluids including whisky!

Dudgeon’s hydraulic
jack had some design issues, but it was another important discovery that helped
power the industrial revolution. Richard Dudgeon
later went on to invent the steam carriage, cementing his position as one of
the most important inventors of the 19th-Century.

Hydraulic jacks became
a common sight in car garages and eventually reached the consumer market. Many garages continued to use pits for car
repairs, however, hydraulic jacks made it easy to safely lift a car for a quick
repair in any location.

The first hydraulic car
lift was patented in 1925 by Peter Lunati, US Patent B66F7/18 Lifting frames, e.g. for lifting vehicles; Platform lifts with platforms supported directly by jacks by one or more hydraulic or pneumatic jacks by a single central jack.

By 1945, there were
many companies making hydraulic lifts for the motor vehicle industry. In the United States, nine lift manufacturers
formed the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI).
ALI was created to further improving the quality of automotive lifts and
ensure the industry remained profitable. Any Lift sold in the EU must conform
to the latest European Harmonised Standards and will have a CE Certificate to
ensure compliance.

Since the invention of
the first hydraulic car lift, may other lifts have been patented including the
scissors type hydraulic car lift in 1989, a 4-post hydraulic platform vehicle
lift for multiple cars in 2000, and an above-the-floor hydraulic lift in 1982.

Hydraulic lifts have
been installed by many garages because they are easy to install and safer to
use compared to a pit, ramps or jacks.
They are much cheaper than digging out a pit for vehicles to drive
over.

Today, hydraulic car
lifts are available in the consumer market and are popular with car
enthusiasts. They allow car owners to
safely and comfortably work on their car in the comfort of their own home.

Car lifts are also
useful for providing additional vehicle storage in your home. Many home owners add platform vehicle lifts
to their garages so they can store two cars in a one car garage. These Platform car lifts can also be
installed into ground excavation to provide even more space for vehicle
storage.

Types of Car Lifts

There are now a wide
variety of car lifts available to suit any operating environment. Most modern lifts use an electric motor to
raise a lift directly through the use of hydraulic rams, or on cables driven by
the ram. Screw type drives to lift the vehicle are available and provide very
accurate control of lift height.

2-Post Surface
Mounted Car LiftsThe most popular type of car lift today, it is
comprised of two lift arms which are typically bolted to the floor. A cross-beam usually joins the posts. The lift arms are synchronised electronically
or mechanically to raise at the same speed, they must be installed on an
extremely secure concrete base

Multi-Post Runway
Car LiftsUsually a 4-post surface-mounted lift. Runway lifts have wide ramps that the vehicle
drives on before being lifted. They are
useful for accommodating a wide array of vehicle types, but require more space.

Scissor Car Lifts Scissor lifts are available as both surface-mounted
and in-ground. Many scissor lifts are
mid-rise lifts that don’t reach the same height as an in-ground post lift.

Low or Mid-rise
Frame Engaging Car Lifts

Low and Mid-rise car
lifts are often surface-mounted and can use external hydraulic systems to
function. While they do not obtain the
same height as a post lift, they are still very useful for getting to the
bottom of vehicles and ideal for working on a car while seated. Many low-rise lifts are mobile and useful
because they can be moved around a garage.

Wheel Engaging
Mobile Units

These lifts feature
moveable posts that are placed under the vehicle’s wheels. They are very useful for situations where you
are dealing with a wide range of vehicles which are different sizes.

Pillertons are Car Lift experts, who have a vast amount of experience installing car lifts
in any operating environment — from residential car lifts through to
Professional Garage & Workshop installations.

7 Sep 2015

14 Aug 2015

Runs on aviation fuel and upwards of 1200 BHP, I've always had a thing for Napier's but this recent creation, using the engine from a WWII PT Boat apparently, is just a wonderful example of "we can so we did!"

21 Jul 2015

Passion. That's what it's all about, a love of something, your thing.
For David Mawby it's the Austin 7. He has quite a collection, he likes
them to be as near to original as possible and selected a Strongman Tools Glenfinnan 4
Post to aid him in his efforts to maintain, restore and service his
impressive fleet. I was lucky enough to install this lift and got chatting to David to discover the stroy behind his fantastic collection of Sevens.

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Pillertons Garage Tools

Welcome to our Blog. Pillertons specialise in supplying Workshop Equipment and Garage Tools which will be of interest to the Home Mechanic & Classic Car Enthusiasts.

We look forward to sharing advice, hints and tips regarding choosing and installing car lifts into Home Garages. We hope that you will find some of the information both relevant and useful and welcome your comments and stories.

If you are considering installing a Car Lift at Home then please click on the links, at the top of the page, for some honest, unbiased, practical advice. Thanks for stopping by.